This easy pasta dish is a tasty way to enjoy the silky sweetness of roasted red bell peppers and the salty bang of sardines. Roast the peppers just for this dish or use any leftover roasted red peppers you may be lucky enough to have.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 3 red bell peppers or other sweet, red roasting peppers
- 1/2 lb. spaghetti
- 2 to 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. red chile flakes (optional)
- 1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste and for cooking pasta
- 1 can (5 oz.) sardines (packed in oil or water - your choice!)
- Basil for garnish (optional)
Preparation:
- Roast and peel peppers, cut into chunks or strips and set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta-cooking water, drain pasta, and set aside.
- In the same pot in which you cooked the pasta or a large sauté pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic, chile flakes (if you like), and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sardines and stir to combine and so that the sardine fillets start to fall apart. Add reserved peppers and stir to combine. Add pasta and reserved cooking water and cook, stirring, until liquid is absorbed.
- Serve topped with basil torn into pieces or cut into a chiffonade, if you like.
Makes 3 to 4 servings of Roasted Red Pepper and Sardine Pasta.
